Allen Community College isn’t the only one celebrating a 100-mark milestone this year.
Red Devil women’s soccer head coach Jeremy McGinnis secured his 100th career victory at the head of the program on Wednesday.
The No. 20 Lady Red Devils knocked off No. 10 Neosho, 1-0, in a KJCCC playoff victory. The win was particularly sweet in that Allen dropped both of its games against Neosho County Community College earlier this season.
“I wanted this win for the girls,” McGinnis said. “We should have won our previous matches because they were the better players, but the scoreboard has the final say. This validated they are a good team. They just beat No. 10 in the nation.”
McGinnis’ 11-year tenure includes taking an undefeated Allen team to the national tournament in 2020 while also securing a No. 5 national ranking.
McGinnis started out as a player on the men’s soccer team at Allen and later served as an assistant for four years under Doug Desmarteau, the men’s soccer coach at Allen. He’s also one of the main reasons the Red Devils have separate coaching staffs for the men and women.
“This milestone means so much to me because the people who hired me believed I could do it,” McGinnis said. “The proof is in the pudding and it’s worked. Doug (Desmarteau) and John (Masterson) were the two that gave me women’s soccer. This 100 wins is for them.”
It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for McGinnis. In 2019, the team didn’t win a single game.
The 2020 turnaround was nothing short of miraculous. During that NJCAA DII National Championship run, the Lady Red Devils defeated eighth-ranked St. Louis Community College in the final round of the tournament. Allen had nine shutout victories that season and went a perfect 9-0 in KJCCC play.
“Winning is a habit and it follows you as a coach and in life,” said McGinnis. “Losing is also a habit and that follows people. I’m just glad it’s not my habit.”
Allen means family to McGinnis.
It’s where he met his wife, Jessica, and it’s the atmosphere he seeks to create when recruiting players from around the world.
“Allen’s been really good to me and this is a family place,” he said. “My dream was to always coach college soccer.”
McGinnis has coached some of the world’s top soccer players including KC Current and U.S. women’s national team player Adriana French in a tournament when she was 13 years old.
“Developing players is first and foremost among a coach’s responsibilities. When you develop players, the winning comes along with it,” McGinnis said. “The trick is to match a players’ characteristics with a position. It’s challenging, and that’s why I like it.”
